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\u201cYou shall not murder\u201d (Deuteronomy 5:17).

Offering this reflection, the Heidelberg Catechism helps us mine the depth of this covenant word,

\u201cI am not to belittle, insult, hate, or kill my neighbor--not by my thoughts, my words, my look or gesture, and certainly not by actual deeds--and I am not to be party to this in others; rather, I am to put away all desire for revenge. I am not to harm or recklessly endanger myself either\u2026By forbidding murder God teaches us that he hates the root of murder: envy, hatred, anger, vindictiveness. In God's sight all such are murder. By condemning envy, hatred, and anger God tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves, to be patient, peace-loving, gentle, merciful, and friendly to them, to protect them from harm as much as we can, and to do good even to our enemies\u201d (Lord\u2019s Day 40).

The Catechism reminds us to apply this covenant words to ourselves. It is much easier to reflect on how others are violating this word. Yet, if we are to take this seriously, self-reflection must be the way we go. We must not deflect the commands of God\u2019s word on others but allow them to penetrate our hearts.

We are also reminded of Jesus\u2019 words that evil comes from the human heart. It is not just outright murder that is at stake here, but the roots of murder such as anger and envy and vindictiveness. Such vices are often given permission to hang out in our hearts. When someone offends us, we often experience a momentary flash of anger. If we do not extinguish this fire, it will flair into contempt: we look down our nose at the offender; we are willing to tell the truth about them without love. This contempt can settle into hatred. We see the effects of this in people killing colleagues and even family members.

This command is rooted in the unique sanctity of human life that derives from our status as the image of God (Genesis 9:6). Because we are made in his image, we are sacred stuff. To take the life of another person is to rob God of a representative and deputy, which is the highest form of treason. Even this word is primarily about our covenant with God.

Being God\u2019s image bearers means that we are stewards of the earth and each other. Jesus shows us that we rule by serving. The shepherd does not to use the sheep but lays down His life for them (John 10:11). We are not to take the life of another human in any form, but rather to serve them. We die to ourselves by giving up our rights to vengeance and serving those who have injured us.

In Babylonian laws, commands against murder drew distinctions regarding the value of life based on status, race, or gender. Such distinctions are not made in God\u2019s covenant. The life of all human beings is equally sacred because we are made in his image. Our value is derived from God, not from our status in human society.

Thus, the Catechism is correct in teaching us that this Covenant word concerns more than just the prevention of murder. To obey it means that we will be promoters of life. Christians in North America have long advocated for the unborn. Currently, we are engaged with the Canadian society calling for protection for the elderly and those suffering from mental illness.

This is right and proper for the Christian community. However, we must confess that we have neglected this command in other ways. Our advocacy for the local poor is intermittent; certainly not as strong as our fight against abortion once was. Neither have we listened well to the effects that a changing climate is having on the world\u2019s poorest people. As ocean level\u2019s rise, many under resourced people live in danger. Do we care?

One of the earliest questions in the Bible is, \u201cAm I my brother\u2019s keeper?\u201d (Genesis 4:9). The answer has always been, \u201cYes. I am my sister\u2019s and brother\u2019s keeper!\u201d

Years ago, I came across this story recorded by a shoe store worker in Nova Scotia. A barefoot boy was standing by hot air register of a bakery when a middle aged lady came by and began to talk with him. After a few moments, they entered the store. She bought him new shoes and a pair of heavy woollen socks. While she was paying, the young lad asked, "Are you God's wife?" "No son, I'm just one of His children." To this he replied "Well, I knew you must be some relation to him." He quickly thanked her and ran out the door.